


The Company You Keep

by thatoldeblackmagic



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Pre-Slash, they call him joker for a reason
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-05
Updated: 2017-10-05
Packaged: 2019-01-09 05:06:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,389
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12269496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatoldeblackmagic/pseuds/thatoldeblackmagic
Summary: At least once a week, Akechi forcibly carves out a chunk of free time to spend at Leblanc.or, Akechi likes Leblanc, and maybe loves Kurusu Akira





	The Company You Keep

At least once a week, Akechi forcibly carves out a chunk of free time to spend at Leblanc.

It’s a little tough to manage since his daily calendar is a multi-color tower built from bricks made of time with little 10-minute travel intervals serving as the mortar. He’s had to arrange a few things; cycle in the mornings instead of before bed, decline an offer from a television network, postpone a mental shutdown or two, just standard fair. This leaves him with a bit of free time on most Wednesday nights that appears on his calendar as a periwinkle blue block labeled ‘Research’. 

At first, it surprises Akechi how much he looks forward to spending time at the little café. It’s an entirely self-indulgent venture. He delays and deletes and sweeps things under rugs to make this happen, but he finds that it’s always worth it. 

He likes Leblanc. It’s simple, and quaint, and nothing is expected of him.

He likes the way Sakura-san offers his insight on current events and then asks Akechi for his opinions with no pitfalls or ulterior motives. He likes the coffee and how Sakura-san insists that he doesn’t give free refills, but always tops off Akechi’s drink with a gruff, “It’s on the house.” He likes the outdated yet charming décor and how a priceless painting hangs innocuously in the corner.

Though, he thinks he might love the way that Kurusu’s stares almost have a physical weight, like a shroud thrown over his head, a cape placed onto his shoulders. It’s no coincidence that his regular bar stool is the first thing to be seen from the front door. 

Which is where he finds himself again this Wednesday. One and a half cups of Ethiopian Harrar into his stay at Leblanc, he hears footsteps slow outside the door and he knows. He straightens his back, lifts his chin, and attempts to smother the smirk edging its way onto his face as he hears the bell above the door jingle. Then, with a small gust of wind, Kurusu sweeps into Leblanc. 

Out of his periphery, Akechi sees Kurusu pause as he notices Akechi, as if he’s never seen Akechi here before. As if Akechi hasn’t been here every Wednesday night for the past month.

It’s the moment Akechi has been eagerly anticipating and it takes more care than he would like to admit to keep his expression in check. Akechi languidly sets down his coffee and turns to face Kurusu. He puts on his best TV smile and says, “Welcome back darling! How was your day?”

Suddenly, the response roulette wheel spins. What will Kurusu Akira say today? A sarcastic quip or some blatant disdain? Maybe he’ll go along with it and they can be a married couple from a shitty sitcom. He could just completely ignore Akechi and hole up in his attic apartment, but that would be a losing bet. Kurusu always responds, and Akechi always wins.

Kurusu blinks behind his thick glasses and Akechi can almost see the reflection of the wheel in the glass. Suddenly, the roulette ball clatters into a slot as Kurusu steps into action. He sets his bag on the counter and drops into the bar stool next to Akechi. With a small, but charming smile that would probably work on anyone else he says, “I was hoping I would see you here.”

Liar. Well, birds of a feather or something like that. 

Akechi only smiles wider and responds, “I know how terribly you miss me when I’m not around, so I thought I’d take some time out of my busy schedule to come visit.” 

It’s a little too easy for Akechi to fall back into this weekly routine, but he thinks that, just maybe, it’s the same for Kurusu. Akechi watches Kurusu’s mouth quirk up into a lopsided grin as amusement dances behind his glasses and Akechi thinks that he might be right. Kurusu rests his chin against the arm braced on the counter and says, “You're so generous, and so modest too. I actually have a question for you if you’re not too busy to hear me out.” 

With a flourish, Akechi pulls out his phone to check the time and gives a considering hum. “You’re in luck! It seems I have enough time for one question.” He sets his phone down on the counter and turns his attention back to Kurusu. “I’m all yours.”

Kurusu raises an eyebrow at that last declaration, but apparently decides to ignore it as he asks, “What’s heavier, one pound of bricks or a matterbaby?”

“A- What?” Akechi pauses to contemplate what he just heard, but somehow nothing clicks. Kurusu isn’t correcting himself so apparently it made sense to him, but Akechi can’t quite piece it together. “I’m afraid I’m not familiar with…that.”

Kurusu’s eyes widen with put-upon innocence as he lifts his head off his hand and replies, “With what? Bricks? Or a matterbaby?” The smirk playing on his lips betrays his seemingly guileless expression. Akechi can tell they’re in the middle of some sort of game, but for the life of him, Akechi can’t figure out what it is.

Well, he’s already come this far and nothing ventured, nothing gained. He steels himself for the punchline and says, “I don’t understand. What’s a MatterBaby?” 

The smirk turns into a grin so big Kurusu’s eyes crinkle around the corners and Akechi’s breath catches in his throat. “Nothing, sweetie.” He starts, leaning forward and placing his hand over Akechi’s. “What’s the matter with you?”

Oh. 

Akechi experiences that special bit of emotional whiplash that only a truly terrible joke can provide. He went from suspicious and confused to ‘done with this shit’ in 0.05 seconds, and that has to be the reason he can’t seem to force back a startled laugh. 

He slides his hand out from under Kurusu’s and runs it over his face in an effort to smother it somehow, but Kurusu has already heard and is already laughing in return. And frankly, it’s stunning. He’s stunning. Akechi doesn’t think he’s ever seen Kurusu’s expression so open before. It’s always been obscured by glasses or hair or sarcasm, but his toothy smile and the red on his cheeks makes him look young, almost boyish. It’s an incredibly endearing look on an already attractive face, and Akechi scrubs a little more at his own smile that won’t seem to disappear. 

Clearly this whole thing really isn’t helping Akechi get his expression in check, so he turns away from Kurusu, lifts the coffee cup to obscure his mouth, and says, “That was an awful joke, and you’re an awful person for telling it.” It’s a weak retort and he knows it, weakened more by the grin that still lingers around his mouth. 

He can see Kurusu’s beatific smile out of the corner of his eye as he replies, “Then what does that make you for laughing at such an awful joke? That must mean you’re just as bad as I am.”

Well, something like that. Akechi sets down the cup without taking a sip and turns back to Kurusu. “I won’t disagree with you there. Birds of a feather and all that.” 

It's quite the experience to witness to Kurusu's wide grin softening into something smaller, something a fool might describe as fond. If Akechi had recorded it, he would watch it frame by frame in order to analyze all the half-formed expressions that occurred in between, to catalog the changes and document how they arrived to their final destination. 

Akechi, however, is no fool. He doesn't have it recorded and doesn't have the time to moon over this boy who is most certainly his rival, and most probably his enemy. Kurusu is about as fond of Akechi as the rest of his friends are, which is to say not at all. It's shockingly easy for his heart to forget this, but luckily Akechi has always had his brain to set him right again. 

His trips to Leblanc are made entirely out of wish fulfillment and selfishness, but he doesn't believe this Wednesday night tradition will change anytime soon. Not when the coffee is good, the atmosphere is light, and the boy his heart decided to latch onto can sit right next to him with a smile.

**Author's Note:**

> whats this? another self-indulgent fic? couldn't be! 
> 
> anyway, Akechi has a crush on coffee boy and doesn't know what to do. thanks for reading!


End file.
